The first thing you must know about BOYNEXTDOOR is that they’re loud. Not the kind of loud that turns off and on for cameras, but the kind that’s natural and uncontainable — an energy that fills a room even when they’re just being themselves.
The six-member boy group is doing exactly that, being themselves even amidst a hectic press day in early September that’s kept them confined to a single practice room at their company’s Seoul headquarters for the past few hours. Their energy doesn’t wane; instead, it spills over into the room in random bursts — chaotic yet endearing for a group whose ages range from 17 to 21 — as they talk over one another, shout out jokes, and laugh without warning. One moment, they’re focused; the next, they interrupt one other, each voice competing for attention. Jaehyun, the group’s charismatic leader, sums up their vibe in three words: “Gen Z swag.”
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The atmosphere is even more charged on the day of this interview because it’s oldest member Sungho’s birthday. “I’m still working,” he says. “But it’s OK. I’m so happy.”
When BOYNEXTDOOR debuted last year, they jumped onto the K-pop scene with youthful exuberance. Their music captures the essence of growing up with songs about love, friendship, and the everyday highs and lows of being young. With their latest EP, 19.99, they find themselves on the cusp of adulthood (turning 20, to be exact), caught between the desire for freedom and the weight of new responsibilities. Then, there are the more tangible signs of growing older. “My body feels heavier,” Jaehyun, now 20, jokes. “It’s harder for me to dance.”
Dancer Riwoo, however, sees little significance in numbers. “Youth is definitely a mindset,” he says, pointing to their own internet habits as proof. “All of our members have this Gen Z vibe, and we love using memes. But Woonhak is the youngest of the band, but he knows the least number of memes.” Taesan, who turned 20 in August, shrugs off any dramatic change. “I just feel like I’m one year older,” he says.
For a group that proudly embraces their “Gen Z swag,” it’s no surprise that their phones are never far from reach. Whether they’re scrolling through memes, catching up on new music, or just filling downtime between schedules, their devices are an extension of themselves. Riwoo laughs, “The notification on my phone says I spend six hours a day on it.” Jaehyun quickly points out that their screen time depends on their schedule. “If we have a lot of different schedules on one day, it’s very hard to put our hands on our phones, but if we don’t have anything, we spend a lot of time on our phones.”
Sungho nods in agreement. “Whenever I see the members during our free time, we’re usually either listening to music or watching YouTube. We all have pretty similar habits.”
Just how similar? Ahead of the release of their new EP, we chatted with the boys of BOYNEXTDOOR about the videos filling up their Watch History, their go-to karaoke songs, their favorite fan edits, and how what they watch online inspires them creatively.
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Mashable: The song “부모님 관람불가 (Dangerous)” is quite mischievous. For the members who worked on the lyrics and composition — Jaehyun, Taesan, and Woonhak — were there any particular experiences you drew from to create this narrative of a rebellious kid?
Jaehyun: Unlike now, when I was a kid, my mom would tell me to come home. I don’t know why, but I really felt like I didn’t want to go home. So if my mom called me and said, “Come home right now,” I’d be like, “Oh, I’m on my way.” And then I would just goof around for 30 more minutes outside to just not go home. If I told her I would be home in just 10 minutes, I would goof around for another 40 minutes. So those are the moments I drew from [while working on the song]. I think that was my rebellious side when I was a kid.
What do your parents think of the song?
Jaehyun: They said it was going to be a hit. [Laughs.] Instead of focusing on the lyrics, they just listened to the melody of the song, and they liked it. So I was really excited.
Do you have a favorite memory from filming the music video?
Woonhak: Korean barbecue!
Sungho: Samgyeopsal!
Woonhak: Do you know samgyeopsal?
Of course!
Woonhak: I remember the Korean pork belly we had. There’s a scene at the very end of the music video when we’re on the rooftop cooking samgyeopsal and eating. It tasted so good. It was very early in the morning, and when I put that pork belly in my mouth, it just melted away.
I really liked the karaoke scene in the noraebang. It looked really fun. What’s your go-to karaoke song?
Woonhak: Do you know [the Korean rock band] Buzz? The song is called “가시.”
Jaehyun: “고해” by Yim Jae-beom. He’s the Korean Kurt Cobain.
Leehan: My go-to song is “Tears” by So Chan-Whee.
Jaehyun: She’s the Korean Beyoncé.
Leehan: That’s right.
Sungho: My favorite song is “Love Never Felt So Good” by Michael Jackson.
Riwoo: Mine is “Lazenca, Save Us” [by N.EX.T]. It’s a heavy metal song.
Jaehyun: The Korean Steelheart.
드디어 GD 등장!!!!!! 함성소리 가득했던 태양콘서트👍
Sungho, you are a big fan of Taeyang, right?
Sungho: We are all big fans of Taeyang and BIGBANG. Taeyang recently had a concert, and it’s one of the concerts that I really wanted to go to. So when the concert was over, I immediately looked up the concert on YouTube to find as many clips as possible.
That’s how your fans watch your performances, too.
Sungho: Exactly. So I’m a fan of Taeyang, and I can relate to [our fans] ONEDOOR in that way because they would also be looking up my stages and performances.
Jaehyun, you specifically mentioned Taeyang and G-Dragon’s “Good Boy” performance from this concert as your favorite. How does it make you feel when you’re watching it?
Jaehyun: So it’s been about seven years since I’ve seen G-Dragon on stage. So I was really waiting for this moment. My heart was pounding watching this clip, and I felt like a legend is always going to be a legend.
[보넥도] “잘생긴 남자들이 7분 30초 동안 웃겨줘요”
Jaehyun, you recommended this fan-made compilation, which, when translated into English, reads, “Handsome men make me laugh for seven minutes and 30 seconds.”
Jaehyun: Well, I looked up BOYNEXTDOOR on YouTube, and it just randomly popped up. So I started watching because in the thumbnail, all of us looked really crazy, so it intrigued me. And when I clicked on it, I was like, “We really did that?” Because we were goofing around [and] we were acting pretty crazy. So it was a fun experience to watch me on the screen doing weird stuff. It was fun.
Do you guys often watch fan edits of yourselves?
Woonhak: Of course we do!
Jaehyun: We do it often.
Woonhak: Recently, there has been more ONEDOOR, so we see a lot of YouTube Shorts made by our fans.
Leehan: I recently saw that fans are printing out our faces on paper and wearing them like masks to role-play as us. And that’s really fun.
That’s a new one. I haven’t seen that!
Jaehyun: There’s a certain type of fan edit that I really love. It’s when they compile different clips of ourselves, and then they put really good background music to it. I love those.
✨1500만뷰 모음집✨ 2023년 무도 레전드 TOP7 모아보기 | 무한도전⏱오분순삭 MBC120721방송
The show Infinite Challenge is really popular in Korea. Woonhak, are these the kinds of video compilations you’ll watch while you’re eating or in between schedules?
Woonhak [in English]: Muhan Dojeon is my life. I watch it every day.
Sungho: You do.
Jaehyun: Great job.
Woonhak [in English]: It’s so funny, and it makes me smile. I’m happy [when I’m watching it].
Do you like to watch these videos while you’re eating?
Woonhak [in English]: Yes! The video is so sweet and delicious.
Woonhak, you said earlier that your favorite meme is an Infinite Challenge meme. Who sends the most memes in the group chat?
Woonhak: I think it’s either Riwoo or Sungho. They’re the big brothers of the group. They use the most memes.
Who’s the most active in the group chat?
Leehan: Our leader Jaehyun.
Woonhak: But Riwoo is also pretty talkative.
“The Urinal Curse: kill every beat 🐲🔥” (via @avemoves)
Riwoo, as a dancer, you’ve said that you get inspired by watching other dancers’ videos online. What is it about this dancer, AVE, that you really like?
Riwoo: I recently got to know him, and he’s a dancer we cannot confine into a single genre. That’s what I really like about him. And I think, you know, vocals are like a type of music that you listen to, but dance is a type of music that you watch. I think he did a great job just conveying music into his dance moves. So I’m a big fan.
I know you contributed to the choreography of “Dangerous.” Can you tell me a little bit about that process and how you draw inspiration from various sources?
Riwoo: So I created the intro part of the choreo. After we learn the entire choreo, I tweak it so that it’s more BOYNEXTDOOR and more our style. Regarding finding inspiration, I try to watch a lot of overseas dance clips of pop stars and other artists. It’s really important to pull out the different charms that we have as individuals. So I focus on that as well.
How would you describe the BOYNEXTDOOR dance style?
Riwoo: It’s very free-spirited. Instead of making sure that we are perfectly synchronized, we want to let everyone show their individuality in the choreography.
“Sleep music for peace of mind”
Taesan, what do you like about ASMR?
Taesan: Yeah, I’ve recently been listening to a lot of ASMR music.
Does it help clear your mind?
Taesan: It helps, especially when you’re under stress. Recently, I started meditating to relieve stress. It helps clear your mind and ease your stress.
I know you write a lot. Do you feel like it helps with your creative process at all?
Taesan: I don’t think so. I mainly listen to it to calm my thoughts and help me fall asleep.
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Leehan, I didn’t realize you were such a big fan of Elvis Presley!
Leehan: One of my favorite songs is “Hound Dog,” and when I was on a flight recently, I watched a movie about Elvis Presley [Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis]. The film really touched me, so I started looking up his music videos and watching those videos on YouTube. He’s got his own kind of dance moves, which I find really cool.
Elvis was a charismatic showman. When you watch clips of him, are there certain things that you can take away from his performance to help inform yours?
Leehan: As I was watching, I felt that Elvis had his signature moves, like the wobbly leg dance. So I thought before I retire, I would like to make a signature Leehan move.
Is there a move you’re thinking about?
Leehan: Oh, no, not yet. But if I come up with one, I’ll make sure that I let you know what it is and walk you through it.
